A Few Days in the Life of Zacharias Smith
by breeutiful
Summary: "Abbott, do you know what people do at this time at night?" - ZachariasHannah
1. Sadness

**Title: **A Few Days in the Life of Zacharias Smith

**Challenge:** The Emotion Challenge given out by Deadly Poppy. The next chapters will be centred around the following emotions: Anger, Lust, Shyness, Crabbiness, Fear, Happiness, Conceit, Betrayal, Love.

**Characters:** Zacharias-centred, though it does have other Hufflepuffs featured throughout the fic. :) Will end up having a pairing.

**Authors Note:** These are a bunch of unrelated drabbley-type things. Enjoy! :)

* * *

He just doesn't do sad.

It's just like how Justin doesn't do mean, or how Ernie doesn't do stupid, and that's why the three of them work so well together as 'friends'. One day though, Justin does do mean and he finds out that Ernie can be stupid, so Zacharias decides that that gives him the right to do sad whenever he wants to - like a free pass card or something.

Zacharias doesn't use said free pass card until the beginning of sixth year when the letter arrives to tell him about how the Death Eaters got to his little sister the night before, and then the sadness comes easier than he expects it to. It comes as easily as a crack in a porcelain vase. It washes over and over him in an endless tide, and it keeps on drowning him as he reads in such a simple emotion.

The letter falls from his hands and flutters to the ground where Ernie picks it up. Ernie looks at him with a pathetic look of sympathy and Zacharias is suddenly finding it harder to breath with a lump forming in his throat. He gives a broken sob and is soon tasting the tears which were threatening to fall from his eyes.

As Zacharias jerks away from Ernie's caring touch, he finds himself looking at the blurred image of the letter Ernie had just placed on the desk, and Zacharias is wondering how something as light as parchment can deliver the news of something so dark and earth-shattering to him as this.

It appears that Zacharias does do sad after all, and he doesn't like it one bit.


	2. Anger

**Title: **A Few Days in the Life of Zacharias Smith

**Challenge:** The Emotion Challenge given out by Deadly Poppy. The next chapters will be centred around the following emotions: Lust, Shyness, Crabbiness, Fear, Happiness, Conceit, Betrayal, Love.

**Characters:** Zacharias-centric, though it does have other Hufflepuffs featured throughout the fic. :) Will end up having a pairing.

**Authors Note:** I've done at least five different versions of this one so I just went with this one, though I had a blast writing all three. :D

* * *

Zacharias' fist slammed into the cement wall just outside the Hufflepuff commons again and again, obscenities spewing from his mouth until he felt a soft fingers wrap around his wrist and pull it away as firmly as possible. Barely even having to glance sideways, he knew it was Hannah Abbott. You definitely couldn't mistake those honey-coloured pigtails which should belong to a first year, and not a sixth.

He scowled at her, though it seemed to go unnoticed as she tutted. Hannah fished through the pockets of her robes until she found a clean hankerchief and wrapped in around his knuckles with a small hiss on her part. She then pulled him inside the commons and up to his dormitories, beckoning him to follow, which he did.

Zacharias raised an eyebrow at her as he swung open the door. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm going to mend your hand with something more suitable than my hankerchief. It's bleeding, in case you didn't know."

Of course he knew it was bleeding. What was he - an idiot? "I did gather that."

"Why do you have to be so difficult?" Hannah pushed him down on to the nearest bed and went rummaging in the bathroom that led from their room. "I mean, you could have just ignored Seamus. He's always saying stuff like that. He just wants to get a rise from you. . . and he suceeded."

Zacharias stared at his hand. Not out of shame or anything like that, but because now it did hurt. Before it didn't thanks to all the adrenaline pumping through his body, but now it had vanished just like that. "Finnigan's an arse. He deserved what was coming to him."

"He's not an. . ." Zacharias almost smirked at her unwillingness to swear. "He just likes to have fun. . . I don't think he expected getting at Bat Bogie hex for it."

Zacharias snorted. "Well, all those times on the other side of the female Weasley's wand -"

"- Ginny. Ginny Weasley's."

"Whatever. I had to research how to reverse it since I was sick visiting the hospital like a little girl, and eventually found out how to use it. . . I almost feel bad that I used first years to help me practice."

"You what?!" Hannah exclaimed, walking into the room with a bandage and some other things in her hands. She sat down next to him.

"Relax. I gave them a galleon each," drawled Zacharias. He sounded completely casual, as though he was discussing the latest Quidditch match. "And I only cursed them five odd times." At Hannah's disbelieving look, Zacharias didn't add the last bit of his sentence. _Five times each_.

Hannah cleared her throat. "Right. I can see why all the girls are just dying to be with you."

"You don't suit sarcasm," Zacharias scoffed. "You're not sarcastic enough. It has to come from the heart." Hannah gave him an almost scandalised look. "Er, no offense?"

"Look, why were you punching the wall?" Hannah took his hand and winced at the blood before she poured something on a cotton ball. "You already hexed him."

"It felt better for -" Zacharias hissed in pain as she dabbed his knuckles with the cotton ball, "- Are you trying to kill me? What the fuck is that stuff?"

Hannah gave him a too innocent look, along with one of her sugary sweet smiles though this time it seemed forced. "Whoops. I forgot to tell you - it may sting a bit."

"Heinous bitch."

He got a swat in the arm for that.

"You know, you may want to try being nice to people for once. You're such a. . . I mean, he was only calling you 'Zach', and I've heard people do that plenty. What's so bad about him doing it?" Hannah paused, "Is it because he's friends with Harry Potter? That's it, isn't it?"

Zacharias pulled his hand out of Hannah's grip before she could object. "Yeah, and how many people do this to my face? One, and that's my sister. _Only_ my bloody sister and no-one bloody else. So you can kindly fuck the hell off."

Hannah gave a kind of scoff as she stood up and marched herself to the door. She opened her mouth to say something before she just shook her head in disbelief, throwing a bandage over to him before turning away and slamming the door as she left.


	3. Lust

**Title: **A Few Days in the Life of Zacharias Smith

**Challenge:** The Emotion Challenge given out by Deadly Poppy. The next chapters will be centred around the following emotions: Shyness, Crabbiness, Fear, Happiness, Conceit, Betrayal, Love.

**Characters:** Zacharias-centric, though it does have other Hufflepuffs featured throughout the fic. :) Will end up having a pairing which should be pretty clear now about.

**Authors Note:** Hope you enjoy! :D

* * *

When Hannah's mother died, she came to him.

One day after class, he comes back to his dorms to find her fussing about into the sixth year boys dormitories. He watched her tidy for a while, wondering if she was doing a favour for MacMillan before it hit him and he remembered the gossip of the day.

Shit.

"Abbott, stop."

She didn't.

"Abbott, calm the hell down!"

She turned to him quickly and he's surprised to see that her face is as clean as a whistle. There are no signs that she's cried yet.

Zacharias is shocked because Hannah Abbott is the girl who faints at just about everything. Hell, this is the girl who had the first breakdown during OWL year. Why hasn't she worked herself into a frenzy yet?

"Why are you doing this?" Zacharias asked her, waiting for her to slow down as she began making Justin's bed. He repeated the question, "What are you doing?"

"I'm cleaning," Hannah replied dully.

It meant a lot than she realised it did. It meant: _I'm distracting myself so bad so I don't cry. I have to be strong - I can't be selfish and cry when it's only my mother. People have lost families._

Her voice cracked at the last syllable, and he watched her sink back on to his bed in shock. A hand flew up to cover her mouth, her eyes teared up. Not able to watch her any more, Zacharias walked over and gathered her into his arms in one smooth movement. Her head fell against his chest and she let the first sob escape from her lips.

They stayed like that for a while, her sniffles and sobs and broken words the only thing filling the silent room. Hannah finally shifted against him before she lifted her head. Her eyes were red-rimmed and blood-shot, and then she gave him _that_ look.

_You're not as bad as people think you are_.

Zacharias had gotten it far too many times to not know what it meant, and her seriously considered pushing her off his bed and telling her to piss off. The only reason he didn't was because she needed someone, and he wasn't that much of a bastard.

Her tears have left stains down her cheeks, but have finally dried. He watched her try and pick up the pieces - to try and calm down so her breath didn't whimper when she breathed.

When Hannah opened her mouth to thank him, Zacharias shook his head before he got up to grab a pair of his pajamas from his trunk and shoved them into her arms. "Go have a shower, Abbott. You look like shit."

Hannah didn't speak as she stood up without telling him off for swearing. She looked like she was about to hug him, but instead turned away and walked out of the room.

Zacharias laid back on his now empty bed and it was only a matter of moments before he heard her from next door. She was crying again, and he covered his ears with his pillow because he didn't need to hear that. Closing his eyes, he wondered when his other roommates would think.

Ernie would probably be pissed if he found out.

A creak of the door cut into his thoughts, and alerted him that Hannah was back. He sat up on his elbows and was immediately caught by what he saw. Usually, he'd actually check the girl out but this time he tried his hardest not to stare and swallowed hard to get rid of his dry throat. Why was it hot all of a sudden?

Hannah looked so much better in his pajamas than he ever did, and he's damn sexy. When he finally looked back at her, he caught her eyes and saw she was looking at him with an unreadable expression. He cleared his throat, "Get here."

"Get where?" Hannah asked softly, looking around.

Zacharias shifted on his bed and patted the space next to him. "Here. Under the covers."

She gave a dismissive snort, which spurred him to tell her, "Abbott, I'm not that desperate. And you're not that lucky."

Without even biting back, Hannah gives in and climbs underneath the sheets of his bed. She almost immediately collapsed into a deep sleep - so deep that if Zacharias yelled he was about to show off his gorgeous chest, he didn't think she'd wake up.

The thought then occured to him that he can now say to MacMillan - just to piss him off - that Hannah's been between his sheets. Sure, Ernie might beat the living shit out of him but Zacharias could take it and probably wouldn't care because of how damn amused he would be.

Zacharias glanced down at the sleeping girl next to him and felt a surge of lust shoot through him because her legs have tangled around his, her blonde hair is a mess and her hot breath is brushing again his neck.

But even Zacharias realises that it wouldn't be right to act on his feelings, so he choses to feel guilty instead.


	4. Shyness

**Title: **A Few Days in the Life of Zacharias Smith

**Challenge:** The Emotion Challenge given out by Deadly Poppy. The next chapters will be centred around the following emotions: Crabbiness, Fear, Happiness, Conceit, Betrayal, Love.

**Characters:** Zacharias-centric, though it does have other Hufflepuffs featured throughout the fic. :) Will end up having a pairing which should be pretty clear now about.

**Authors Note:** I tried to portray the emotion 'shyness' with Zacharias' blushing but I don't think it turned out too well. Anywho, enjoy! :)

* * *

When he first met Eloise Midgen, he judged her by her looks.

She was in his house for the first four years of his life and he didn't notice her until she returned one day with acne. He had snickered along with most the blokes in his dorms, making up nicknames they'd never say to her face.

In the middle of sixth years, Susan Bones finally snapped and went off her head in a long-winded bitch to him about how cruel he was being to her. It ended up with her leaving a stinging red mark in the shape of her palm across his cheek, and her hexing him so bad that he winded up in the hospital for the next three days which was absolute hell.

He had no visitors, no little flimsy cards, no sympathy.

Day after day, Zacharias just laid in his very uncomfortable hospital and stared up at the ceiling - either that or he flipped through magazines which he had read a hundred times over. He was now up to three-hundred and forty-three cracks in the ceiling.

"Madam Pomfrey," called out a soft voice.

Zacharias was startled and looked at the new presence in the room, then swore. Now he'd have to start all bloody over again. Dammit. Stupid Eloise Midgen.

"Excuse me?"

Those were the first words she'd ever spoken to him. And, shit, had he said that out loud? "Er, what?"

The acne-ridden girl looked at him with an expression that he could only read as careless. "You just said my name. You just called me stupid, Zacharias."

"Yeah, well, you are. You're stupid enough to. . ."

Eloise waited a moment and checked in Madam Pomfrey's office to see if the nurse was there. She then turned and went to sit on the bed next to Zacharias'.

"What are you doing?"

"Visiting," replied Eloise quietly, shrugging her shoulders. "Oh, and I'm waiting for Madam Pomfrey. Know where she is?"

"Why are you visiting me?" Zacharias drawled, raising an eyebrow at her.

Even the ugly people couldn't resist his good looks. He knew it.

Eloise raised an eyebrow back at Zacharias before she replied, "Seems no-one else has bothered to. And, after all, you're in here because of ugly old me."

"Yeah. Whatever," Zacharias said dismissively. "I don't want you here."

"Bullshit," Eloise said immediately. "You're bored. You're counting cracks on the ceiling. You want a visitor. Even stupid Eloise Midgen will do."

"You know, for someone who's so honest, you like to insult yourself," Zacharias told her with a snort. "I don't understand that. A lot of people do it already, so why do you have to do it to yourself as well?"

She didn't even look hurt before she answered, "I make fun of myself because that way people can laugh with me, and not at me. It doesn't work, of course."

"Obviously. People talk shit about you behind your back all the time," scoffed Zacharias.

"As they do yours."

"I don't care."

"Yes, you do," snorted Eloise.

He was starting to think she wasn't all that nice. Not like most Hufflepuffs. She was kind of like him, come to think of it.

"No, I don't. I don't care at all. People can bitch about me all they want, whether it be behind my back or not."

Eloise gave an almost harsh laugh. "You attacked Seamus Finnigan just the other week for talking shit about you."

"He wasn't talking shit about me. He was talking shit about Ab-"

"-bott?" Eloise finished for him, a small smirk twisting her lips. "You like her."

Zacharias rolled his eyes, but felt a sort of warmth flow to his cheeks. "No, I don't. I have a bunch of girls lining up for me, I don't need some pig-tailed bint to satisfy me."

"You're blushing," pointed out Eloise.

Zacharias thought on his feet. "Yeah, well, it's hot in here."

"It's winter," Eloise replied dully. "And you've got your covers drawn up to chin. Admit it, Zacharias, you're blushing."

Knowing he wasn't going to win, Zacharias sent her his most withering glare and settled for looking up at the roof. "Fine. I'm blushing. Big deal. It's not like I like her."

"She fancies you."

This caught his attention. "Oh, really? She, uh, said so, has she?" He tried to make his voice as confident as possible.

"Not as much, but she's always biting her lip when she's around you, and blushing," Eloise reasoned, crossing her legs. "I overheard her ranting about you the other day to Ernie. And trust me when I say that no-one can sound _that_ frustrated without the word 'sexually' before it."

"Abbott doesn't have sex," Zacharias said. "She's the biggest prude I know."

"I won't deny that. She's one of those girls who make a big deal out of things like sex," Eloise shrugged. She paused before she said, "You know, we're not that different."

"Who? You and Abbott?"

"No. Me and you," Eloise explained. "No-one likes either of us."

Zacharias smirked, the blush in his cheeks now faded. "Abbott does apparently."

"She fancies you. That doesn't mean she likes you."

"You're a bloody weirdo," Zacharias snorted. "Why do girls have to be so complicated?"

"Us? Complicated?"

"Yep."

There was a silence as the two of them went into their own thoughts.

"Want to hear a stupid story?" Eloise asked Zacharias, looking down at the bed covers. Before he replied, she spoke, "I got tired of people teasing me, so I tried cursing off my pimples. And you know what happened? They got worse, and now my nose is permanently off-centre. It's smashing, isn't it?"

Not quite sure what to say, Zacharias said the first thing that came to mind, "Sure is." His voice dripped with sarcasm.

Eloise looked at him for a moment and he seriously thought she was going to cry before she surprised him with a choke of laughter. "I think you're the first one to ever, ever admit it."

"Should I be honoured?"

Eloise opened her mouth to reply when --

"Eloise Midgen! Dear, I've just gotten that potion I was talking about in for you," Madam Pomfrey called, bustling into the hospital wing.

Eloise slid off the bed with a small nod at Zacharias. "Until next time."

The next time she tried talking to him, he ignored her.


	5. Crabbiness

**Title: **A Few Days in the Life of Zacharias Smith

**Challenge:** The Emotion Challenge given out by Deadly Poppy. The next chapters will be centred around the following emotions: Fear, Happiness, Conceit, Betrayal, Love.

**Characters:** Zacharias-centric, though it does have other Hufflepuffs featured throughout the fic. Zacharias/Hannah. :)

**Authors Note:** So, not everyone is crabby here - mainly Justin. Well, I guess you could consider Zacharias crabby, but he always is so it doesn't matter. :P And I'm now officially half-way through with the other chapters half-written. :) Personally, I'm not overly fond of this chapter but I'm content with it. :)

* * *

Justin Finch-Fletchley was one of his best mates, and he pissed Zacharias off to no end.

Today, was not one of Justin's good days - Zacharias had long ago decided it all mattered on how long it took for him to do new tie knots in the morning. While Zacharias was relaxing on his bed, there was a slam which caused him to shoot up and grab his wand as a reflex.

Much to his surprise, Justin stormed over to _Ernie's_ bed and snatched a thick book from Wayne's beside table. He threw it at Ernie with surprisingly good aim and the next thing Zacharias heard was a grunt. He smirked as Ernie groaned out, "What in Merlin's name, Justin?"

"You are a horses arse!" Justin declared, pointing a finger at Ernie with a scowl.

Six years living together and that's all Justin has? Pathetic.

"Oh, great," Ernie muttered dryly. He looked up at Justin, rubbing his stomach where the book had hit him. "What is it this time?"

"You know what it's about!"

_Oh_.

"Oh. This isn't about Susie again, is it?" sighed Ernie, shaking his head.

Justin threw his arms up in the air with a scoff, "Do you know that she's prancing around the common room, declaring her love for you? She's even got a little bucket - The Bucket of Love - with tiny little home-made confetti hearts in it. She's been throwing them all over people."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Stop flirting with her!" Justin practically shouted. "You're only encouraging her by flirting back with her."

Since when was Justin her mother? Zacharias knew Justin was feminine but not to that extent.

"I'll hurt her feelings if I don't!" objected Ernie, looking defensive. "And, to be quite frank, I think it's marvelous that she's in love with me. She's a very nice girl, and I think that one day I could love her back."

"Could love her back?" repeated Justin. "_What_?"

At that moment, Hannah chose to burst through the door and throw herself down on Ernie's bed. She looked up at him pleadingly, "Make her stop, Ernie! I love her, but this is getting beyond ridiculous."

Ernie looked down at Hannah incredulously, "You too? Does everyone want me to hurt her feelings? Crush them into smithereens? What about you, Smith?"

Zacharias held his hands up with an obnoxious snort. "I don't care a rats arse what you decide to do. It's not going to affect me in the slightest... and soon enough, she'll be begging to get into bed with me. I might even let her at the front of the line - you know, the line of girls who want to be between my sheets?" He smirked.

"In your dreams," muttered Justin with a scoff.

"Yeah right," Ernie added sarcastically.

Hannah cleared her throat and patted Ernie's hand, "Look, I think you better go watch out for the safety of the first years, Ernie... and tell Susie your true feelings about her."

Justin shot both Ernie and Hannah particularly dirty looks before he stood up from his bed, crossed his arms over his chest and stomped his way out of the room. He slammed the door on his way out.

What was it with him and slamming the dormitories door? Soon enough, it would be just a pile of wood chips... again.

Hannah looked bewildered and asked, "What was that all about?"

"I said that..." Ernie began, running his fingers through his curls, "I said that... I could perhaps love her back."

Hannah's hand which was patting his, connected with the back of his head in a slap. "You did what?! Ernie... you..." She paused, trying to figure out how to say it. "But Ernie, you don't like girls. Do you?"

Zacharias snickered.

"Why does everyone think that?" demanded Ernie, standing up. He then proceeded to do a "Justin" and storm out.

Hannah just sat there for a moment, shocked and idly playing with the bracelet around her wrist. "They're mad. They've all gone bonkers. What are their problems?"

"You've been spending too much time around them, and your madness must have rubbed off on them," Zacharias snorted, watching her. "Either that, or they've got some unresolved sexual tension."

Hannah gave a grin before she stood up and sat next to him on his bed. "I bet they've been snogging in secret," she joked.

'_She's never sat next to me by choice before,_' thought Zacharias to himself, glancing next to him. _'Huh. Maybe she does fancy me and Midgeon was right . . . wait, why do I even care? I don't fall for innocent, pretty blondes. Do I?_'

"You know what, Abbott? We should do that," Zacharias purred, draping one of his arms over her shoulder and pulling her closer to him.

Hannah looked at him sharply, eyes wide. "Do... do what?"

Zacharias leaned in dangerously close to her lips, sending her a wink as he whispered, "Snog."

Hannah blushed a startling shade of red and bit her lip - fancy that, Midgeon _was_ right - before she lightly pushed his arm off her shoulders and stood up. "I have to... um... go... you understand... right?" She stammered out before she raced out the door.

Why, what an interesting developement.


	6. Fear

**Title: **A Few Days in the Life of Zacharias Smith

**Challenge:** The Emotion Challenge given out by Deadly Poppy. The next chapters will be centred around the following emotions: Happiness, Conceit, Betrayal, Love.

**Characters:**Zacharias-centred, though it does have other Hufflepuffs featured throughout the fic. Zacharias/Hannah.

**Authors Note:** Read and review, please. :)

* * *

It was pretty much common knowledge throughout the school that Hermione Granger didn't fly. However, it was not common knowledge that Ernie Macmillan didn't either.

Zacharias had been studying for a dreaded Potions exam at a table in the library, gradually getting pissed off because Hermione Granger had been staring at him for the past hour. Finally fed up, he snapped at her, "Take a picture, it lasts longer."

Hermione quickly moved her attention back to studying, pretending not to notice him - even Zacharias knew that was impossible . . . he was just that hot. In the midst of admiring his good looks, he was startled by a thunk on his table. He looked up to see Ernie sitting down with a heavy pile of books in front of him.

Ernie stared at him for a while, looking as though he was trying to gather the courage to ask something.

What was it with people and staring at him today?

"Zacharias," - Ernie never addressed him by his first name - "I need your help with something. I'm desperate."

Zacharias raised an eyebrow. "And why would I help _you_? You don't even pretend to like me."

"I'm one of your best friends!" exclaimed Ernie.

Well, okay, that was true . . . But Ernie didn't need to know that. "So says you."

Ernie paused for moment, giving a heavy sigh. "Okay, well, that wasn't even a decent reason you gave. I want a better one, old chap."

"There's a number of reasons," Zacharias replied with a snort. "For starters, you just called me 'old chap'."

"And what's wrong with that?"

"These are the nineties, not the nineteen fucking hundreds."

"Oh, come on," Ernie pleaded, his bottom lip jutting out and eyes wide, "I'll do anything. Homework for a month, I can give you a bag of galleons . . ." He paused before he gave the tiniest of knowing looks, "I could even get you a date with Hannah."

As if that's going to work. Wait . . . oh, bugger.

". . . Really?" Zacharias pretended to act casual by flicking a piece of hair out of his eyes.

A triumphant grin came upon Ernie's lips and he nodded. "Yeah, really. It'll be easy enough. She already fanci - I mean, tolerates you . . . and since she's my best friend, a date would be no problem. I promise."

Inside, Zacharias' stomach was feeling something that he could only describe as butterflies . . . But he was too manly to call them that, so he decided not to acknowledge it at all. "A proper date, you mean."

"A proper date," agreed Ernie.

"And it has to be on my terms," added Zacharias. "She has to wear a dress and everything, and take her hair out of those stupid bloody pigtails. And I want a kiss off her at least once."

Ernie grimaced. "That might be pushing it, Smith."

Zacharias gave him a look. "Do you want this or not?"

"Fine," Ernie sighed, running a hand through his curls. "Fine. I'll make sure she kisses you."

"Good," Zacharias smirked. "Now, what was it that you wanted?"

"I need to learn how to fly," Ernie admitted, "and I want you to teach me."

"Huh. Why?"

"For Susan," explained Ernie.

Zacharias' eyebrow quirked up of it's own will. "You want to learn how to fly for a girl . . . man, Finch-Fletchley's going to hate you."

"The worst Justin can do is hit me, and we both know that I'm quite a bit stronger than him . . . And you, for that matter."

Zacharias snorted. "Please, I let you win."

"You were crying."

"I don't cry," Zacharias scoffed, "and there was dirt in my eye."

Ernie gave him a sceptical look.

"Oh, fuck off. If you shut up, I'll help you. Okay?"

Ernie's answer was silence and a nod.

* * *

He came to regret this decision when he landed in the hospital wing almost an hour later with a broken ankle.

Unfortunately, Madam Pomfrey just had to go out and didn't have time to mend his ankle properly, or at least that was her excuse. Zacharias suspected it was more the fact that she didn't actually like him, which was probably true ever since the incident with Ginny Weasley had occurred.

Turning his head to the side, he could send Ernie sitting on the bed opposite his with his arm nestled in a sling. Zacharias sent him a reproachful glare. "I should kill you."

Giving an exasperated sigh, Ernie looked back at Zacharias. "How many times do I have to tell you that it wasn't my fault, and it still isn't! How was I supposed to know that I was going to freak out?"

"Oh, gee, I don't know," Zacharias drawled, voice dripping of sarcasm. "Maybe the fact that you death hugging me from behind was a tell sign that you were going to faint and fall off."

"You told me to hold you like that!"

"Correction: I told you to hold my _waist_."

"I did hold your waist!"

"Yeah, well . . . I didn't mean until my intestines were about to burst out."

"That illogical," muttered Ernie.

"You're illogical!" Okay, definitely not his best but he tried. "Fuck you, Macmillan."

"Really?" Ernie seemed to regret his words when Zacharias arched an eyebrow at him. "Oh, no, not that! I mean, really as in 'that's the best you can do'?"

Zacharias snorted. "Sure you did."

"I did," Ernie retorted hotly, indignant. "Merlin, you're such a . . ."

"Such a . . ." Zacharias waited for Ernie to finish his sentence who glared at him.

Fortunately for him, Ernie was spared having to answer as the doors of the infirmary chose to burst open at that time and point with three people on the other side. It was Justin, Susan and Hannah who immediately walked to Ernie's bedside first who shot Zacharias an almost smug look, causing him to roll his eyes.

Such a blatant act of favouritism from the three.

Susan looked up to see his scowl and cooed, "Aw, is little Zacharias feeling left out?"

Unlike Hannah, Susan was a complete flirt. She found pleasure in teasing boys, and that's what was causing Justin and Ernie's fight for her affections - along with another hundred blokes which they didn't seem to know, or care about.

Zacharias found odd amusement in the fact that Finch-Fletchley would be all jealous now, seeing how Susan would be fawning all over Macmillan's latest injury. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if Justin threw himself off the Astronomy Tower for a bid of her attention.

"'Sup, Bones?" It was best to act nonchalant, Zacharias decided.

Susan laughed and she walked around to his bed and away from Ernie whose face was contorted in over-exaggerated pain, the bloody pansy. She swooped down and gave him a small kiss on the lips, ruffling his hair.

Zacharias could almost hear the protests of Ernie - actually, wait, no . . . they were actual protests. "Suzie Q, what about me? I broke my arm and you don't give me a kiss?"

When Zacharias looked over with a witty retort on his lips, but it died as he saw a flash of hurt flash over Hannah's fact. Strangely, he felt somewhat triumphant that he was able to gauge that kind of reaction from her.

Susan looked over her shoulder and grinned at Ernie. "This room is filled with emotions. It's like the . . . room for emotions." She finished lamely, eliciting too loud laughs from Justin and Ernie (somehow he managed to get in a groan as well).

"Well, I'm just glad the both of you are alright," Hannah told Zacharias and Ernie quietly. It was only a matter of minutes before Ernie tugged her down next to him on his bed, and she lightened up. "Ernest Henry Macmillan, I will not be accosted in such a way!"

Ernie chuckled and mimicked her, "Hannah Grace Abbott!" He tugged on one of her pigtails.

"I was going to give you a chocolate frog, but now that you've caused me pain . . ." Hannah trailed off. "I'm reconsidering."

Ernie held out his hand and gave her puppy eyes which she nearly gave into immediately and she fished the chocolate frog from her pocket, opening it for him before she ceremoniously told him to open his mouth. When he did, she shoved half of it in.

Zacharias rolled his eyes before turning to Susan. "So . . ."

"My love for you burns like a dying phoenix!" Justin declared suddenly, looking dead straight at Susan.

The reactions were instantaneous. Ernie nearly choked on his shoulder, Hannah tried to stifle her laughter but failed, Zacharias raised an eyebrow, and Susan stared for a good while.

"Well, it's true!" Justin said defensively. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at her expectantly. "Well, please say something."

Instead of saying something, Susan grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him from the room, leaving the three in her wake.

Well, that was certainly awkward.


	7. Happiness

**Title: **A Few Days in the Life of Zacharias Smith

**Challenge:** The Emotion Challenge given out by Deadly Poppy. The next chapters will be centred around the following emotions: Conceit, Betrayal, Love.

**Characters: **Zacharias-centred, though it does have other Hufflepuffs featured throughout the fic. Zacharias/Hannah.

**Authors Note:** Read and review, please. Sorry it took so long but I've been busy with school and haven't had time to update. :)

* * *

Zacharias was in the hospital wing for a whole night until Madam Pomfrey finally returned from her trip. She had sent him an almost withering glare (possibly because it was two in the morning and tired, or that's what he'd like to think) and set a pain potion on his bedside table.

It turned out that the potion he was given was way too strong - he suspected that Snape made it that way on purpose - and he was sufficiently knocked out for a full three days. He awoke to Hannah holding his hand and . . . a very much awake Eloise Midgen sitting on the seat beside her, reading a book.

His luck was absolutely brilliant.

"What are you doing here?" he asked groggily, his hand going up to touch his head. It was pounding.

"Sitting," replied Eloise dryly, putting her book down. "You're seriously daft at times."

"It's too early for insults."

"It's three in the morning. I thought people who 'rebelled' against 'the man' were used to staying up late."

"First of all, I don't rebel. Second of all, the man?"

"You know, the man upstairs," Eloise told him with a roll of her eyes.

"There's a man upstairs?" Zacharias looked confused.

"No, I mean - God, I'm not bothered enough to tell you. Just shut up."

"I will if you will."

They kept silent for about ten seconds.

"Why's Abbott here?"

"Because she's a lovely friend . . . and she fancies her. She's been here all this time, actually."

"And how long would that be?"

"Three days."

He wanted to pump his fist in the air, but he wasn't bothered. "HELL YEAH!"

"And that's why you don't know who 'the man' is," Eloise muttered. She looked up at him with a sugary sweet grin and said sarcastically, "Hmm, your presence has been severly missed. Soon enough everyone will be piling in here to give you flowers and balloons . . . I'll bet you ten galleons that Finnigan will be the first!"

"O-ho!" Zacharias chortled. "Looks like it's someones time of the month."

"I'm pregnant," Eloise deadpanned. "I don't have a 'time'."

"Are you sure?" Zacharias asked, feigning concern. "Oh, hang on, you might just be a bloke instead. You could be with looks like yours."

"Oh wow," Eloise cried out, a hand flying to cover her heart dramatically. "What an original insult, Zacharias."

Zacharias shot her a sarcastic smile. "I thought so."

Standing up, Eloise went over to the sink and grabbed a glass from the cupboard above her. She turned on the tap and filled it with water before she came back and practically thrusted it into his hands. "Drink."

"You think I could persuade Hannah to help me?"

"If you say that it's an attempt to drown you, then maybe."

"She doesn't want to drown me. She loves me."

"Fancies you," amended Eloise, "and have you ever woke her up in the middle of the night?"

"... No."

"My point exactly."

Zacharias shot her one of his infamous scowls as he sat up in the bed properly and raised the glass to his lips, taking a small sip and giving an "ah" because his throat wasn't sore any more. He was half-tempted to spit the water at Eloise, but decided against it because it was probably just a waste of water . . . and because he just wasn't bothered.

Eloise looked at him with a bored sigh, "Want to know why I'm visiting you?"

"No, but chances are you'll tell me anyways."

She cleared her throat, as though preparing for a grand speech. "Despite you being an utter bastard and ignoring me every time I try speaking to you, I did this from the goodness of my heart."

Zacharias snorted. "You have one?"

"I'll take pity on you and just tell you that it's located under my chest.

"Or lackof," Zacharias muttered with a snort.

Eloise hit him. Hard. "God, do you have to be such a fucking bastard about everything? I said that I came here out of the goodness from my heart and you just . . . have to be an arse."

"Aww, are you going to cry on me, Midgey? Are you?" Zacharias taunted.

"No, I'm actually contemplating on whether I should hex your bollocks off or not. As you may see, I have a wand, and you don't."

As a reflex, Zacharias reached down to grab his wand from his pants, only to realise he wasn't wearing any. "What the . . ." He lifted the sheets and looked at Eloise. "Why the fuck am I wearing a hospital gown."

Eloise looked positively stunned for a moment before she grabbed the sheets from him and pulled them down so she could see. She began to laugh loudly.

"Oi, stop it!"

He was ignored, and she kept laughing.

"Midgen!"

She paid him no attention.

"ELOISE!"

A slap collided with his leg, and to his surprise it wasn't Eloise who did it - she was still cackling her arse off - but it was Hannah who was half-glaring at him through sleepy eyes.

"What the hell?" Zacharias demanded, rubbing his leg and glaring at the blonde.

"You woke me up," Hannah mumbled, "and I'm not happy. Sat here for days until you woke up. Bastard."

So, he wasn't sure if she actually swore . . . but he liked to think she did.

"Why?"

"Cause _I_ . . ." - Love You? - ". . . am a good friend."

"And you fancy me," Zacharias blurted out, watching Hannah's eyes go wide in shock and her cheeks colour.

"N-no, I don't. Who told you that? They're obviously lying because there is no way . . ." Hannah insisted, her words trailing off when Zacharias gave her a smirk which was way too knowing. "I don't like you."

"You're a bad liar."

"And you're a bad friend," Hannah muttered at him. She looked over at the now quiet Eloise, "And you are too. What ever happened to 'bros don't tell other bros when a third bro likes the second bro'?"

"It wasn't me," Eloise said, her face the picture of innocence. "I bet it was Ernie - you told him, right? He probably told Justin, who we all know is one of the biggest gossips from Hufflepuff."

Hannah gave a sharp gasp. "You think he told everyone?"

"You just admitted it!" Zacharias crowed.

"God, you are so annoying!" Hannah turned to Zacharias, looking half-tempted to strangle him.

Zacharias winked at her. "Want to shut me up?"

With a huff, Hannah turned from him and back to Eloise who was grinning.

"Unresolved sexual tension," Eloise sing-songed. She leaned in to ruffle Zacharias' hair, reaching past Hannah. "Well, I think I'll leave you two love-birds by yourself. Hannah, Ernie told me to tell you that you owe Zacharias a date."

"Why didn't he tell me himself? He had three days!" Hannah exclaimed, watching the brunette skip out of the hospital wing.

"He was afraid that you'd smother him with a pillow," Eloise called over her shoulder before she promptly disappeared.

Zacharias looked to Hannah for her reaction which was a small scowl.

"I'm not happy with you," Hannah stated.

Zacharias rolled his eyes. "That much is obvious, gorgeous."

"Don't call me that," Hannah groaned, slouching down in her seat with her arms crossed over her chest.

"You like it. Just like you like our fighting. It gets you hot," Zacharias replied cockily.

"No, it doesn't. It makes me annoyed, just like you do."

"Wow . . . Midge was right," Zacharias muttered. "You really are a grouch when you just wake up."

"It's the middle of the night!"

"Good point," Zacharias agreed, sending her a smirk. "Abbott, do you know what people do at this time at night?"

Hannah shot him a sweet smile. "Sleep?"

"Ha ha. Very funny."

"I thought so," Hannah said with all seriousness, resting her elbow on the arm of her chair and putting her head in her hand. "You know, I should be the one laying in the bed."

Zacharias raised gave her another cocky smirk. "Well, sucks for you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really."

With a sudden determination, Hannah pushed herself out of her chair and laid down on the very tiny space of bed he had left. "Move over."

"Say please?" Zacharias said, in a high-pitched imitation of the girl who was currently pushing at his shoulder with surprising force. After she didn't replied, he gave an exaggerated sigh. "Fine, I'll move over. But you better not hog the bloody blankets."

As Zacharias scooted over, Hannah gave an almost satisfied smile. "You just didn't want it to seem like I was able to push you over by myself." Then, as an afterthought, she added, "And I'm being nice."

"Trying to push me out of a bed is considered nice?"

"No, I'm being nice by letting you remain in the bed. I _could_ have kicked you out."

"In your dreams," Zacharias said with a snort. "Now, just shut up and go to sleep."

"Fine."

"Fine."

That night, Zacharias fell asleep with a smile on his face and his arm wrapped around Hannah Abbott.


End file.
